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THE  BATTLE-FIELD  OF  GETTYSBURG. 


BY 


GEORGE  J.  GROSS. 


From  the  Philadelphia  Press  of  Nov.  27,  1865. 


PHILADELPHIA: 

COLLINS,  PRINTER,  T05  JAYNE  STREET. 
1 8 6 6. 


THE  FLOWERS  COLLECT 


<?73, 73- 


NOTE. 


Yieldix&  to  the,  perhaps,  too  partial  judgment  of 
those  who  have  expressed  an  interest  in  my  article 
on  “The  Battle-field  of  Gettysburg;”  and  with  the 
view,  moreover,  of  availing  myself  of  an  opportunity 
of  making  some  necessary  additions  and  corrections, 
I have  had  a few  copies  printed  in  the  present  shape 
for  distribution  among  personal  friends  who  regard 
it  as  deserving  of  a better  fate  than  that  accorded  it 
in  the  ephemeral  columns  of  a newspaper. 

GEORGE  J.  GROSS. 


Philadelphia,  March.  1S66. 


THE  BATTLE-FIELD  OF  GETTYSBURG. 


TO  THE  EDITOR  OF  THE  “PRESS.” 


Sir  : — 

I have  just  returned  from  a visit 
to  Gettysburg,  and  you  can,  if  you  choose,  accom- 
pany me  over  the  field  and  hear  what  a participant 
in  the  battle  has  to  say.  In  the  main,  I tell  the  story 
as  ’twas  told  to  me;  but  it  is  difficult  to  say  anything 
new  upon  a theme  already  hackneyed.  In  common 
with  others,  you  newspaper  people  have  a horror  of 
long  articles;  therefore,  “ for  fear  your  readers  should 
grow  skittish,”  you  have  my  full  permission  to  ab- 
breviate, omit,  or  expunge  at  your  pleasure;  only  I 
beg  you  to  bear  in  mind  that  I am  attempting  to 
describe  a three  days’  battle.  Assuming  then  this 
sketchy,  gossipy  article  to  have  escaped  your  waste- 
paper  basket,  start  with  friend  Edward  Penington, 
Jr.,  and  myself,  this  fine  November  morning,  out 
the  Emmettsburg  road.  Our  companion  and  guide 
is  Captain  A.  F.  Cavada,  a gallant  and  accomplished 


6 


young  officer,  who  served  all  through  from  York- 
town  to  Petersburg,  and  for  nearly  two  years  on  the 
staff  of  Major-Gen.  Humphreys. 

About  a mile  out  we  halt.  The  Captain  loquitur: 
“Now  I begin  to  feel  at  home.  Let  me  take  an  ob- 
servation, as  these  fences  were  not  here  then.  All 
right ; I’ve  got  it  now.  Do  you  see  that  big  walnut 
on  the  ridge  over  there?  That  was  Gen.  Humphreys’ 
headquarters  on  the  morning  of  Thursday,  the  2d  of 
J uly.  Almost  worn  out  with  hard  marching,  I was 
aroused  from  my  weary  bivouac  at  daylight  and  or- 
dered to  post  Col.  Tilghman’s  regiment  (the  26th 
Penna.)  on  picket  along  here.  Later  in  the  day  the 
right  of  our  division,  Carr’s  brigade,  held  this  brick 
house.  Further  down  was  posted  Turnbull’s  battery. 
Below  that  barn  stood  Seely’s;  and  still  further  to- 
wards our  left  the  batteries  of  the  first  division,  under 
Livingston,  Smith,  Randolph,  Clark,  and  Winslow. 
I name  them  all,  for  never  were  guns  more  effectively 
and  beautifully  handled.  All  suffered  severely — 
especially  Seely,  who  had  hardly  a man  or  horse 
left  standing,  and  was  himself  badly  wounded. 

“Now  go  with  me  into  that  orchard.  I want  to 
find  a certain  apple-tree  which  served  as  a rendez- 
vous for  staff  officers.  Standing  under  it,  during  the 
day,  with  Captains  McClellan  and  Humphreys,  a 
shell  exploded  in  the  top,  killing  three  of  our  poor 
orderlies,  and  wounding  my  horse.”  The  tree  was 


7 


found,  bearing  upon  its  trunk  and  branches  unmis- 
takable evidence  of  hard  usage. 

“About  half-past  two  o’clock  the  whole  Third 
Corps  moved  out  in  line  of  battle  over  this  open 
ground,  and  a more  magnificent  spectacle  of  ‘living 
valor  rolling  on  the  foe’  I never  witnessed.  Away 
over  on  that  bare  spot  of  rising  ground  the  rebels 
had  planted  two  batteries,  which  enfiladed  our  whole 
line,  fairly  sweeping  it  from  left  to  right.  Heavens  ! 
how  they  pitched  it  into  us  ! Longstreet’s  infantry 
emerged  from  the  adjacent  wood,  and,  in  a short  time, 
all  around  where  we  are  standing,  to  the  right,  left, 
and  in  front,  along  this  road,  through  that  peach 
orchard,  away  down  towards  Round  Top,  the  battle 
raged. 

“How  well  I remember  this  spot!  I had  been  or- 
dered to  post  Col.  Burling’s  brigade  behind  the  low 
stone  fence  you  see  there,  and,  on  my  way  back,  I 
passed  the  114th  Penna.  Regiment,  then  commanded 
by  my  brother,  Lieut.-Col.  F.  F.  Cavada.  It  had  just 
been  ordered  to  an  advanced  position  beyond  the 
road.  I rode  up  and  shook  hands  with  him.  ‘Good- 
bye, Fred;  look  out  for  yourself;  you  are  going  into 
a warm  place,  and  are  sure  to  catch  it.’  So  it  turned 
out.  The  regiment,  in  connection  with  the  68th 
Penna.,  soon  became  fiercely  engaged,  losing  heavily. 
My  brother  and  his  brigade  commander,  Gen.  Gra- 


8 


ham,  were  both  taken  prisoners,  the  latter  severely 
wounded. 

“I  never  saw  the  rebels  fight  with  such  diabolical 
fury ; for,  notwithstanding  the  most  murderous  fire 
of  canister,  shrapnel,  and  musketry,  poured  into  their 
very  faces,  on  they  came — nothing  could  stop  them. 
Our  own  men,  too,  those  heroes  of  Chantilly,  Frede- 
ricksburg, and  Chancellorsville,  never  fought  more 
unflinchingly.  Upon  no  other  part  of  the  field  was 
war’s  bloody  harvest  so  abundantly  gathered.  The 
eye  here  easily  takes  in  the  boundaries  both  of 
the  enemy’s  position  and  of  our  own ; and,  within 
this  circumscribed  space,  on  that  blazing  afternoon, 
lay  more  than  ten  thousand  men! — 

‘Heap’d  and  pent; 

Rider  and  horse — friend,  foe — in  one  red  burial  blent  ’ — 

“The  close  and  deadly  nature  of  the  conflict  can 
be  realized  when  we  bear  in  mind  that  these  ap- 
palling losses  were  incurred,  not  in  charging  breast- 
works, nor  in  storming  entrenched  positions,  but  in  a 
fair  stand-up  fight,  on  level  ground,  without  any  ad- 
vantage of  position  except  the  commanding  ground 
occupied  by  the  enemy’s  batteries. 

“The  Third  Corps  went  into  action  10,000  strong, 
and  came  out  with  less  than  5,500!” 


“Well,  Captain,  you  participated  in  most  of  the 


9 


heavy  fighting  done  by  this  army.  Tell  me,  did 
yon  ever  see  hotter  work  than  this?” 

“Never  but  once.  In  the  attack  upon  the  enemy’s 
position,  at  the  first  Fredericksburg,  our  division 
was  ordered  to  storm  the  heights.  As  we  were 
getting  ready  to  move,  Gen.  Humphreys,  always  a 
very  polite  man,  turned  to  his  staff,  and  in  his  bland- 
est manner  remarked,  ‘Young  gentlemen,  I intend 
leading  this  assault,  and  shall  be  happy  to  have 
the  pleasure  of  your  company.’  Of  course,  the  invi- 
tation was  not  to  be  declined.  That  was  the  rough- 
est place  I was  ever  in — a perfect  slaughter-pen. 
Our  division  lost  1100  men  in  fifteen  minutes,  and 
to  this  day  it  seems  a miracle  how  any  of  us  ever 
got  hack  alive.” 

A word  of  criticism  here.  At  one  period  of  the 
battle,  Birney,  being  hard  pressed,  called  upon  Gen. 
Sykes,  in  command  of  the  Fifth  Corps,  for  assistance. 
Sykes  had  been  ordered  to  support  the  Third,  if 
called  upon ; hut  he  returned  for  answer,  that  “ he 
would  he  up  in  time ; that  his  men  were  tired,  and 
were  making  coffee!”  They  did  come  up  in  about 
an  hour;  “and,”  says  Gen.  Warren,  in  his  testimony , 
“the  troops  under  Gen.  Sykes. arrived  barely  in  time 
to  save  Round  Top,  and  they  had  a very  desperate 
fight  to  hold  it.”  And  again,  speaking  of  the  opera- 
tions next  day,  “When  the  repulse  took  place,  Gen. 


10 


Meacle  intended  to  move  forward  and  assault  the 
enemy  in  turn.  He  ordered  an  advance  of  the  Fifth 
Corps,  but  it  was  carried  on  so  slowly , that  it  did  not 
amount  to  much,  if  anything.”  Gen.  George  Sykes, 
although  a brave  man,  is  entirely  too  slow ; so  at  least 
Gen.  Grant  seemed  to  think,  for,  in  the  subsequent 
reorganization  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  the  ser- 
vices of  “Tardy  George”  No.  2 were  dispensed  with.* 

The  Fifth,  as  a corps,  has  a glorious  record,  and 
has  never  failed  to  fight  bravely  when  properly 
handled. 

To  resume  the  Captain’s  narrative.  “As  the  day 
wore  on,  the  superior  numbers  of  the  enemy  began 
to  tell ; the  pressure  became  greater  and  greater, 
until  at  last  our  whole  corps,  with  the  exception  of 
Carr’s  brigade,  was  pushed  down  the  slope  broken  and 
discomfited.  There,”  said  the  Captain,  pointing  to  a 
clump  of  bushes,  “my  horse  received  a second  wound 
and  fell  dead  under  me.  I managed  to  scramble  over 
the  ridge,  where  our  men  were  being  rallied;  and, 
soon  after,  the  sun  went  down,  and  the  rebels  were 
beaten  back  beyond  the  Emmettsburg  road.  In  the 
melte , Capt.  Chester,  of  our  military  family,  was  seen 
to  go  down ; and,  after  nightfall,  a party  started  out 
in  search  of  him.  Near  that  flat  rock  we  found  him 

* Gen.  Sykes,  in  a communication  which,  with  the  reply  thereto,  will 
be  found  in  the  Appendix,  defends  himself  against  these  strictures.. 


11 


alive,  but  grievously  wounded.  His  liorse  and  faith- 
ful orderly  were  both  dead  beside  him,  and  across  his 
legs  lay  a rebel  soldier,  whom  he  had  killed  with  his 
revolver  while  in  the  act  of  plundering  him  of  his 
watch.  He  was  taken  up  tenderly,  and  conveyed  to 
the  hospital  on  Rock  Creek,  where  he  died  the  next 
day. 

“With  heavy  hearts  we  now  set  about  the  task  of 
burying  such  of  our  poor  fellows  as  were  within 
reach.  Always  the  saddest  of  a soldier’s  duties,  it 
was  peculiarly  so  upon  this  occasion,  for  all  felt  that 
the  rising  sun  would  bring  with  it  a repetition  of 
this  day’s  horrors,  and  that,  perhaps,  at  this  very 
hour  to-morrow,  some  kind  comrade  might  be  per- 
forming the  same  mournful  office  for  us. 

‘ Few  and  short  were  the  prayers  we  said, 

And  we  spoke  not  a word  of  sorrow; 

As  we  steadfastly  gazed  on  the  face  of  the  dead, 

And  we  bitterly  thought  of  the  morrow.-1  ” 


From  the  Peach  Orchard  we  struck  across  the  de- 
clivity, passing  by  the  spring  where  General  Sickels 
received  his  wound'.  The  amputation  of  his  leg  was 
performed  in  a wheat  field  beyond,  and  the  com- 
mand of  the  corps  devolved  upon  our  fellow-towns- 
man, the  lamented  General  David  B.  Birney. 


12 


Of  this  faithful  and  distinguished  soldier,  a 
general  officer,  himself  a man  of  great  ability  and 
approved  gallantry — in  a letter  now  before  me,  writes 
thus:  “My  own  judgment  of  Birney  is,  that  he  was 
the  most  thorough  volunteer  officer  of  the  war.  In 
coolness,  knowledge  of  topographical  configuration 
(a  most  rare  and  invaluable  quality),  and  for  think- 
ing and  acting  under  fire,  he  surpassed  any  com- 
mander under  whom  I ever  served.” 

In  the  course  of  the  day  we  paid  a visit  to  Mr. 
Sherfey’s  house,  where  we  were  most  hospitably  re- 
ceived. This  house  stands  about  the  centre  of  the 
field,  and  is  riddled  from  garret  to  basement.  Traces 
of  the  conflict  are  to  be  seen  on  every  side,  including 
the  last  resting-place  of  many  poor  Southerners. 
Mr.  Sherfey’s  barn  was  burnt  during  the  fight,  and 
many  of  the  wounded  who  sought  refuge  there  pe- 
rished in  the  flames.  “These,”  said  Mrs.  Slierfey, 
producing  some  tin  cans,  “contain  peaches  that  were 
growing  in  our  orchard  over  there  at  the  time  of  the 
battle.  These  are  my  trophies.”  In  the  front  garden 
grows  the  beautiful  shrub  known  as  the  “burning 
bush,”  luxuriant  with  its  crop  of  bright  red  berries, 
typical  of  the  blood  shed  at  its  roots.  “Take  some 
of  the  berries  with  you  and  plant  them,”  said  the 
kind  old  lady;  “they  will  grow  anywhere,  and  will 
be  pleasant  mementos  of  Gettysburg.” 


13 


"We  next  made  our  way  to  Little  Round  Top, 
where  we  liad  the  pleasure  of  meeting  Colonel  Bat- 
chelder.  This  gentleman  is  engaged  in  collecting 
the  details  of  the  battle,  and  will,  no  doubt,  produce 
a hook  equal  in  interest  to  his  great  map.  I was 
sorry  to  hear  him  say  that  he  intends  designating 
this  as  “"Weed’s  Hill,”  in  honor  of  the  general  who 
fell  on  its  top.  Honor  the  memory  of  the  brave 
man  in  some  other  way,  Colonel ; hut  don’t  change 
this  name.  As  “Little  Round  Top”  it  has  passed 
into  history,  and  so  it  will  he  known  forever. 

There  are  few  finer  views  of  the  whole  field  than 
from  this  point,  and  here  took  place  the  closest  and 
most  sanguinary  fighting  of  Thursday.  Regarding 
it  as  the  key  of  the  position,  Longstreet  made  the 
' most  furious  efforts  to  carry  it,  but  the  cool  and 
steady  gallantry  of  the  Fifth  Corps  repelled  every 
effort  with  heavy  loss  to  the  assailants.  On  the 
height  fought  two  of  the  noblest  soldiers  of  the 
army,  Cols.  Vincent  and  Rice.  The  former  laid 
1 down  his  life  here;  the  latter  at  Spottsyl vania,  the 
year  after.  The  following  dispatch,  dated  July  3d, 
does  infinite  honor  to  the  heart  of  General  Meade:  “I 
would  respectfully  request  that  Col.  Strong  Vincent, 
33d  Penna.  Regiment,  he  made  a brigadier-general  of 
volunteers  for  gallant  conduct  in  the  field  yesterday. 
He  is  mortally  wounded,  and  it  would  gratify  his 
friends  as  well  as  myself.”  Secretary  Stanton  at 


14 


once  complied  with  the  request,  hut  poor  Vincent 
did  not  live  to  hear  of  his  promotion. 

Here,  too,  at  the  early  age  of  twenty-five,  fell  Col. 
O’Rourke,  of  the  140tli  V e w York.  Graduating  at 
the  head  of  his  class  two  years  before,  he  was  assigned 
to  duty  in  the  field,  and  soon  became  distinguished 
as  an  ofiicer  of  rare  ability.  He  was  killed  while 
mounted  on  a rock  animating  his  men. 

Fortunately  the  extreme  left  was  held  by  that 
superb  regiment,  the  20th  Maine,  whose  flag  bears 
upon  its  folds  no  prouder  inscription  than  that 
of  “Gettysburg.”  Few  men  have  achieved  more 
honorable  distinction  than  the  commander  of  this 
gallant  regiment.  His  career  culminated  in  glory 
with  Sheridan’s  at  Five  Forks ; and  General  Cham- 
berlain’s is  one  of  the  names  of  the  war  that  will 
survive  the  wreck  of  shoulder-straps. 

Having  expended  the  last  cartridge,  Chamberlain 
ordered  his  regiment  to  charge  down  the  ' hill,  and 
succeeded  in  clearing  its  sides  with  the  bayonet. 

The  remarkable  ledge  of  rocks  known  as  the 
“Devil’s  Den,”  directly  opposite  Round  Top,  was 
occupied  by  the  enemy’s  sharpshooters,  one  of  whom 
had  a perfectly  safe  position  within  the  cleft,  and 
picked  off  our  men  with  fatal  accuracy.  The  face 
of  the  boulder  behind  which  he  lay  is  still  covered 
with  the  marks  of  the  Minies  sent  at  him.  One 
“went  for  him”  clean  through  the  crevice,  but  missed. 


15 


He  was  finally  dislodged  by  a charge,  and  escaped 
through  an  opening  to  the  rear.  Seven  rifles,  it  is 
said,  were  found  in  his  hiding-place.  There  is  room 
enough  for  fifty.  On  the  slope  in  front  of  this  den 
lie  bleaching  the  bones  of  rebel  dead,  washed  out  by 
the  rains.  All  the  little  stone  walls  thrown  up  by 
our  men  between  the  huge  boulders  are  still  here. 
In  fact  nothing  is  changed.  Would  that  this  could 
be  said  of  other  parts  of  the  field ! Inscriptions  upon 
the  rocks  mark  the  spots  where  Vincent  and  Hazlett 
fell.  The  charge  made  by  the  Pennsylvania  Re- 
serves was  to  the  right  and  in  front  of  the  hill. 

Brigadier-General  Zook  and  Colonel  Jeffards — the 
latter  of  the  4tli  Michigan — were  killed  in  the  field 
beyond.  Jeffards  fell  by  a bayonet  thrust  while 
gallantly  holding  up  with  his  own  hands  the  colors 
of  his  regiment.  tSTear  this  same  field,  bravely  charg- 
ing at  the  head  of  his  “Bucktails,”  we  lost  our 
Chester  County  neighbor,  Colonel  Frederick  Taylor. 
Vo  death  in  the  whole  army  was  more  sincerely 
mourned. 

We  now  proceed  along  our  lines  of  Friday,  Col. 
Batchelder  politely  acting  as  guide.  In  the  little 
grove,  close  to  our  lines,  fell  General  Barksdale  on 
Thursday.  This  noisy,  brawling  rebel  set  out  in 
search  of  his  “ rights ,”  and  the  little  pile  of  stones 
here  marks  the  spot  where  he  is  presumed  to  have 
found  them.  It  is  said  he  was  intoxicated  when 


16 


starting  on  the  charge,  ancl  this  may  account  for  his 
reckless  bravery.  True  or  not,  “the  story ’s  still 
extant.” 

The  Second  Corps  held  from  here  to  the  Cemetery. 
The  spot  is  pointed  out  where,  exposing  himself  like 
a common  soldier,  the  intrepid  Hancock  received  his 
wound.  The  advanced  line  was  held  by  the  Vermont 
Brigade,  then  commanded  by  Gen.  Stannard,  who 
subsequently  gave  an  arm  to  the  cause  on  the  James. 
A pile  of  knapsacks — apparently  just  as  unslung — 
lie  mouldering  here,  the  inscription,  “16th  Vermont,” 
still  visible.  Even  now  the  debris  of  battle — hats, 
shoes,  cartridge-boxes,  bayonet-scabbards,  and  can- 
teens, are  scattered  all  over  the  field. 

Vext  we  come  to  the  ground  held  by  our  city 
brigade,  composed  of  the  69tli  — “Paddy  Owens’ 
Regulars;”  Baxter’s  Zouaves,  the  72d;  the  106th, 
Col.  Moreliead;  and  the  71st,  or  “California”  regi- 
ment, commanded  originally  by  Senator  Baker,  and 
subsequently,  for  a time,  by  our  gallant  townsman, 
Col.  John  Markoe.  “The  Philadelphia  Brigade” 
upon  this  occasion  was  commanded  by  Brigadier- 
Gen.  A.  S.  "W ebb,  a New  Yorker — one  of  the  young- 
est officers  of  his  rank  in  the  service — and  nobly  was 
the  honor  of  both  the  great  cities  upheld.  In  their 
charge,  the  left  of  the  enemy’s  line  struck  ours  just 
at  this  point,  and  so  overwhelming,  for  the  moment, 
was  the  shock,  that  the  whole  command  was  pushed 
rudely  back;  but,  springing  to  the  front  instantly, 


17 


Webb  quickly  rallied  bis  shrinking  column  and  re- 
stored the  fight. 

Would  that  every  organization  conspicuous  for 
courage  and  conduct  could  be  particularized ; but 
that  would  be  to  mention  almost  every  regiment  and 
battery  engaged. 

From  here  we  have  an  excellent  view  of  Seminary 
Ridge,  the  line  of  woods  whence  the  rebels  de- 
bouched, and  the  beautiful  level  fields  over  which 
they  swept  in  their  grand  charge.  What  a magnifi- 
cent battle-field!  The  heights  of  La  Belle  Alliance 
and  Mont  Saint  Jean  in  some  respects  resemble  our 
Cemetery  and  Seminary  Ridges,  with  the  same 
gently  undulating  valley  intervening;  but  there  the 
principal  road  runs  at  right  angles,  while  here  par- 
allel, with  the  position. 

Speaking  of  the  bombardment  which  preceded  the 
charge,  Gen.  Hancock  says,  “It  was  the  most  terrific 
cannonade  I ever  witnessed,  and  the  most  prolonged.” 
A rebel  eye-witness  describes  it  thus : “ I have  never 
yet  heard  such  tremendous  artillery  firing.  The  very 
earth  shook  beneath  our  feet,  and  the  hills  and  rocks 
seemed  to  reel  like  a drunken  man.  For  one  hour 
and  a half  this  most  terrific  firing  was  continued, 
during  which  time  the  shrieking  of  shells,  the  crash 
of  falling  timber,  the  fragments  of  rock  flying 
through  the  air,  shattered  from  the  cliffs  by  solid 
shot;  the  heavy  mutterings  from  the  valley  between 
2 


18 


the  opposing  armies;  the  splash  of  bursting  shrap- 
nel, and  the  fierce  neighing  of  wounded  artillery 
horses,  made  a picture  terribly  grand  and  sublime.” 

After  this  came  Pickett’s  charge,  numbering  some 
20,000  men.  It  was  made  in  two,  some  say  three, 
lines  of  battle,  with  great  coolness  and  steadiness. 
Our  ninety  guns,  planted  on  the  crest  from  the 
Cemetery  to  Round  Top,  “volley’d  and  thunder’d,” 
and  when  the  infantry  joined  in  the  chorus,  so  terrible 
was  the  fire  that  tore  through  the  rebel  ranks,  so 
rapidly  were  men  struck,  and  so  singular  their  gyra- 
tions, that  “it  presented,”  says  an  officer,  “the  extra- 
ordinary spectacle  of  ten  thousand  men  playing  at 
‘leap-frog!’  ” 

In  spite  of  every  effort,  the  flower  of  Lee’s  vete- 
rans, directed  by  their  tried  leaders,  Garnett,  Arm- 
stead, Kemper,  Wright,  Posey,  and  Mahone,  failed 
in  carrying  our  position,  although  they  charged  up 
to  and,  at  one  or  two  points,  even  over  it.  It  has 
been  asked,  “What  other  than  Southern  troops  would 
have  made  that  charge?”  Ay,  sir,  hut  what  other 
than  Northern  have  met  and  repulsed  it?  Northern 
endurance  and  pluck  were  more  than  a match  for 
Southern  impetuosity  and  dash. 

“There  swung  th e pine  against  the  palm.” 

In  the  bloody  ruck  scores  of  their  best  officers 
went  down.  It  was  the  turning  point  of  the  grand 


19 


drama,  and,  with  the  sun,  on  that  3d  day  of  July, 
went  down  the  sun  of  the  “ Confederacy”  forever ! 

Although  known  as  “Pickett’s  Charge,”  Gen. 
Graham,  whom  I met  here  yesterday,  informs  me 
that  Pickett  was  not  engaged  in  it.  The  General 
describes  him  as  a coarse,  brutal  fellow,  by  whom  he 
was  treated  with  the  greatest  inhumanity  whilst 
wounded  and  a prisoner  in  his  hands. 

The  rebel  corps  commanders  either  did  not  ex- 
pose themselves  as  freely  as  our  own,  or  they  had 
better  luck,  for  none  were  hit,  whilst  we  lost  one 
killed,  and  two  wounded.  The  story  told  in  Blade- 
wood’s  Magazine  by  Col.  Freemantle,  of  the  British 
army,  who  was  present,  may  help  to  explain  it.  He 
says : “When  I got  close  up  to  Gen.  Longstreet,  I 
saw  one  of  his  regiments  advancing  through  the 
woods  in  good  order.  So  thinking  I was  just  in  time 
to  see  the  attack,  I remarked  to  the  General,  ‘I 
wouldn’t  have  missed  this  for  anything.’  Longstreet 
was  seated  at  the  top  of  a snake-fence,  at  the  edge 
of  a wood,  and  looking  perfectly  calm  and  unper- 
turbed. He  replied,  laughingly,  ‘The  d — 1 you 
wouldn’t ! I would  like  to  have  missed  it  very  much: 
we’ve  attacked  and  been  repulsed;  look  there /’” 

We  now  crossed  the  Baltimore  Pike,  calling  on  the 
way  at  the  small  frame  building,  on  the  Taneytown 
road,  used  as  Gen.  Meade’s  headquarters  on  Friday. 
This  will  always  be  a point  of  great  interest,  as  the 


20 


focus  of  that  feu  d’enfer  before  described,  and  one 
likely  to  be  remembered  by  Gen.  Meade  and  bis  staff 
to  their  dying  day. 

The  house  is  sadly  shattered,  and  the  poor  widow 
who  owns  it  complains  bitterly  of  her  losses.  “When 
I comes  home,  my  house  was  all  over  blood ; the 
sogers  takes  away  my  blankets  and  quilts,  all  my 
hay,  and  they  spiled  my  apple-trees,  my  spring,  and 
every  ting.”  She  says  a few  hundred  dollars  would 
be  a great  help  to  her,  and  thinks  she  should  “git  it 
from  someveres.” 

Sure  enough,  why  shouldn’t  she?  In  the  garden 
of  a cottage,  in  the  little  village  of  Waterloo,  the 
visitor  is  shown  the  monument  erected  over  the 
Marquis  of  Anglesea’s  leg,  and  the  poor  peasant  has 
made  quite  a little  fortune  by  exhibiting  the  hoot 
cut  from  the  leg,  and  the  table  upon  which  the  am- 
putation was  performed.  This  hint  might  not  be 
thrown  away  upon  a more  enterprising  person,  but  I 
doubt  whether  this  poor,  frowsy  German  woman  will 
ever  profit  by  it. 

To  the  right  of  Cemetery  Hill  was  stationed  the 
battery  so  furiously  assailed  by  Hays’  brigade  of 
“Louisiana  Tigers.”  The  lunettes  and  traverses 
remain  undisturbed  and  grass-grown. 

The  little  eminence  in  front  was  held  by  that 
patriotic  old  soldier,  Brig.-Gen.  Wadsworth.  He 
fell  in  the  Wilderness,  in  May,  ’64. 


21 


The  works  thrown  up  by  our  men  on  Culp’s  Hill 
are  still  to  he  seen,  except  such  portion  of  the  timber 
as  is  being  removed  by  the  owner  of  the  ground. 
Only  think  of  the  meanness  of  the  man  who  is  en- 
gaged in  pulling  these  monuments  to  pieces,  and  con- 
verting them  into  fire-wood ! I could  not  ascertain 
the  name  of  the  barbarian,  else  I would  give  it. 

The  effect  of  the  furious  fire  poured  upon  Ewell’s 
columns  is  visible  enough.  Hardly  a tree  or  rock  in 
front  of  these  works  has  escaped.  Many  of  the  trees 
are  covered  and  scarred  with  bullets  as  high  as  fifty 
feet  from  the  ground.  There  was  “wild”  as  well  as 
deadly  firing  here  on  that  Thursday  night  and  Friday 
morning.  Along  this  rough,  rocky  hill  fought  the 
“White  Star  Division,”  led  by  our  own  Geary,  and 
that  sturdy,  honest  fighter,  Brig.-General  Green. 
Four  months  later,  at  the  desperate  midnight  battle 
of  Wahatchie,  in  Lookout  Valley,  this  same  com- 
mand again  encountered  a portion  of  Lee’s  army — 
Longstreet’s  corps — and  added  to  the  laurels  gained 
at  Antietam  and  Gettysburg. 

An  inscription  on  a tree  in  the  ravine  below  tells 
the  story  of  a mound  close  by — “To  the  right  lie 
buried  forty-five  rebels.”  They  sleep  where  they  fell! 

In  the  following  communication  to  Governor  Cur- 
tin, General  Cutler  tells  us  how  the  battle  opened : 
“I  owe  a duty  to  one  of  your  regiments,  the  56th, 
and  its  brave  commander,  Col.  J.  W.  Hofmann.  It 


22 


was  my  fortune  to  be  in  the  advance  on  the  morning 
of  July  1st.  The  atmosphere  being  a little  thick,  I 
took  out  my  glass  to  examine  the  enemy.  Being  a 
few  paces  in  rear  of  Colonel  H.,  he  turned  to  me  and 
inquired,  ‘Is  that  the  enemy?’  My  reply  was,  ‘Yes.’ 
Turning  to  his  men,  he  commanded,  ‘Beady — right 
oblique — aim — fire!’  and  the  battle  of  Gettysburg 
was  opened.  The  fire  was  followed  by  other  regi- 
ments instantly;  still,  that  battle  on  the  soil  of  Penn- 
sylvania was  opened  by  her  own  sons,  and  it  is  just 
that  it  should  become  a matter  of  history.” 

About  a mile  from  the  town  is  the  ground  fought 
over  by  our  brave  cavalrymen. 

A passing  tribute  here  to  the  “eyes  of  the  army.” 
In  no  preceding  campaign  had  this  arm  rendered 
services  at  once  so  efficient  and  so  distinguished. 
From  the  opening  of  the  campaign  in  June,  all 
through  Virginia,  Maryland,  and  Pennsylvania — 
from  the  Bappahannock  to  Gettysburg,  and  back 
again  to  the  Potomac ; at  Brandy  Station,  Beverly 
Ford,  Aldie,  Upperville,  Middleburg,  Hanover,  Get- 
tysburg, and  Boonsboro’ — they  hewed  their  bloody 
way,  bearing  down  all  opposition,  each  combat  a 
victory,  until  at  last — so  uniform  was  the  result — it 
only  became  necessary  to  find  the  rebel  Stuart  to  in- 
sure his  overthrow. 

Beyond  the  Seminary  is  the  scene  of  the  first  day’s 
struggle. 

With  the  eye  and  the  instinct  of  a true  soldier, 


23 


General  Reynolds  saw  how  much  depended  on  hold- 
ing the  advanced  position  until  the  heights  in  his 
rear  could  he  occupied  in  force.  He  doubtless  felt 
how  great  would  he  the  cost,  how  unequal  the  strug- 
gle ; hut  he  knew  his  duty,  and  hesitated  not  to  per- 
form it,  even  at  the  peril  of  his  life.  Some  absurd 
things  have  been  said  in  censure  of  what  his  critics 
are  pleased  to  call  his  “rashness;”  but  let  us  hope 
that  some  day  full  justice  will  he  done  to  the  man 
who,  without  stopping  to  count  the  odds,  boldly 
flung  his  devoted  troops  full  against  the  enemy,  hold- 
ing him  at  bay,  and  thereby  accomplishing  the  great 
purpose  for  which  he  sacrificed  himself  and  the  brave 
men  ‘who  died  with  him.  IlST ay,  more.  Let  it  always 
be  borne  in  mind,  that,  in  precipitating  the  fight,  he 
fixed  its  locality ; thus  settling,  beyond  a peradven- 
ture,  a point  of  no  small  importance  in  view  of  the 
prevailing  doubts  and  perplexities  of  the  hour. 

The  marks  of  battle  still  abound,  but  the  interest 
centres  in  the  spot  wdiere  Reynolds  was  killed.  He 
was  nearly  up  with  the  skirmish  line — no  place,  say 
military  men,  for  the  commander  of  a corps — “hut 
that  was  like  John  Reynolds.”  He  had  just  dis- 
patched his  aids,  Captains  Baird,  Rosengarten,  and 
Riddle,  on  special  duties,  and  was  himself  watching 
the  deployment  of  the  Wisconsin  Brigade,  when  he 
was  struck  in  the  neck  and  fell  dead  from  his  horse. 

Poor  Reynolds! 

"There  have  been  tears  and  breaking  hearts  for  thee.” 


24 


At  last  we  reach  the  National  Cemetery  on  Ceme- 
tery Hill.  I pity  the  man  who  can  stand  unmoved 
in  this  silent  city  of  the  dead.  Here  are  the  precious 
offerings  laid  upon  the  altar  of  the  country  by  the 
loyal  States.  Ordinarily,  the  process  of  filling  up  a 
cemetery  is  slow  work — the  work  of  years.  Three 
days  and  nights  sufficed  to  fill  this!  How  those  poor 
fellows  toiled  and  straggled  to  get  up  in  time  to 
save  the  soil  of  a free  State  from  the  polluting  tread 
of  the  invader!  Here  sleep  those  “unnamed  demi- 
gods” of  the  rank-and-file.  “Unknown!”  “Un- 
known!” the  only  epitaph  of  hundreds.  At  our  feet 
lies  an  army!  Infantry,  cavalry,  and  artillery,  rank 
upon  rank,  in  beautiful  military  array,  as  though 
awaiting  the  order  to  appear  in  review  before  the 
Great  Commander-in-Chief  of  us  all! 

“Up  many  a fortress  wall 

They  charged,  those  boys  in  blue: 

’Mid  surging  smoke  and  volley’d  ball 
The  bravest  were  the  first  to  fall — 

To  fall  for  me  and  you  1 
Our  brothers  mustered  by  our  side; 

They  marched,  and  fought,  and  nobly  died 
For  me  and  you  ! 

Good  friend,  for  me  and  you  !” 

"Who  can  ever  forget  those  three  days  of  July, 
that  period  of  agonizing  suspense? 


25 


And  when  the  news  came,  O how  that  sad  cata- 
logue pulled  upon  the  heart-strings ! 

Reynolds,  Zook,  Weed,  Willard,  Vincent,  Farns- 
worth, Card,  Jeffards,  Taylor,  O’Rourke,  Lowery, 
Cross,  Hazlett,  Adams,  Miller,  Arrowsmith,  Deve- 
reaux,  Larrabee,  Davids,  Block,  Little,  Repes,  Locke, 
Dorrity,  Chester,  Watson,  Chancellor,  Leach. 

“Period  of  honor  as  of  woes, 

What  bright  careers  ’twas  thine  to  close  ! 

Mark’d  on  thy  roll  of  blood  what  names, 

To  Freedom's  memory,  and  to  Fame’s 
Laid  there  their  last  immortal  claims !” 

So  ends  my  story  of  Gettysburg. 

G.  J.  G. 


Philadelphia,  Nov.  1865. 


APPENDIX. 


LETTER  FROM  LIEUT.-COL.  SYKES. 

Fort  Leavenworth,  Kansas, 
December  9,  1865. 

TO  THE  EDITOR  OF  “THE  CHRONICLE.” 

Sir: 

In  your  Sunday  issue  of  November  27,  1865,  appears 
an  article  descriptive  of  the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  and  signed 
“ G.  J.  G.,  Philadelphia.”  In  the  course  of  it  the  writer  steps 
aside  to  make  a malicious  attack  upon  myself,  and  to  favor  the 
public  with  other  information  which  he  alone  seems  to  possess. 
In  his  communication  he  asserts  that  to  “Birney’s”  call  upon  me 
for  assistance  I replied,  “that  I would  be  up  in  time,”  that  “my 
men  were  tired,  and  were  making  coffee.”  Premising  that  General 
Birney  was  not  in  command  of  the  Third  Corps  until  late  in  the 
day,  after  General  Sickels  was  wounded,  it  is  enough  for  me  to 
say  that  General  Birney  never  made  any  such  request,  and  that  I 
never  made  any  such  reply;  it  is  a pure  fabrication,  and  those 
■who  know  me  know  that  such  an  answer  would  be  foreign  to  my 
whole  career  as  a soldier.  While  the  Fifth  Corps  was  massed  on 
Rock  Creek  as  a reserve,  I received  an  order  to  send  a brigade  to 
the  support  of  General  Sickels,  should  he  call  for  it.  Accordingly, 
General  Weed’s  brigade  was  detailed  and  held  ready  for  this 
emergency.  General  Meade  having  desired  to  see  the  corps  com- 
manders at  3 P.M.,  I rode  to  his  headquarters,  on  the  Taneytown 
road,  and  during  the  interview  he  directed  me  to  throw  my  whole 
corps  immediately  upon  the  left  of  our  line,  and  hold  it  at  all 
hazards.  I at  once  despatched  a staff  officer  to  put  the  troops  in 
motion — met  two  brigades  of  Barnes’  division  (Sweitzer’s  and 
Tilton’s)  as  they  crossed  the  Taneytown  Pike,  and  posted  them 


27 


myself  in  front  of  tlie  ground  held  by  a part  of  Birney’s  division, 
Third  Corps.  General  J.  H.  H.  Ward,  of  New  York,  was  present 
when  I had  the  conversation  with  General  Birney  which  led  to 
the  posting  of  these  troops.  Instead,  however,  of  a brigade,  my 
whole  command  went  to  the  support  of  the  Third  Corps ; but  the 
greater  part  of  it  was  established  upon  and  around  “ Little  ” and 
“Big  Round  Top,”  which  was  our  true  left,  and  the  key  of  the 
day’s  battle.  The  movement  began  the  moment  an  aide-de-camp 
could  ride  from  general  headquarters  to  where  the  corps  was 
massed,  and  no  other  time  was  consumed,  except  that  required 
to  march  it  to  the  positiqn  assigned  by  the  commanding  general. 
Because  the  position  was  held  with  desperate  gallantry  by  the 
Fifth  Corps,  our  line  of  battle  was  not  taken  in  reverse,  and  the 
day  was  saved.  Every  soldier  understands  that  General  Meade’s 
order  to  move  my  whole  corps  to  the  left  annulled  any  previous 
one  contemplating  the  support  of  General  Sickels  with  a brigade ; 
but,  further  to  show  the  temper  and  inaccuracy  of  “ G.  J.  G.’s  ” 
statement:  after  General  Weed  reached  “Little  Round  Top,” 
and  before  he  had  seen  me  on  my  return  from  General  Meade’s 
headquarters — upon  the  call  of  General  Sickels — he  put  his  bri- 
gade, minus  Garrard’s  regiment,  en  route  to  the  support  of  the 
Third  Corps,  but  was  fortunately  met  and  recalled  by  mj^self  to 
Little  Round  Top,  just  in  time  to  meet  Longstreet’s  attack  upon 
it.  The  second  assertion  of  “ G.  J.  G.”  (quoted  from  General 
Warren’s  testimony,  and  of  which  I know  nothing)  is  as  incor- 
rect as  might  be  expected.  General  Meade  never  gave  an  order 
for  the  Fifth  Corps  to  advance,  on  the  3d  of  July,  after  Lee’s  re- 
pulse. I have  in  my  possession  every  order  affecting  my  com- 
mand during  that  campaign,  and  no  such  order  is  in  existence. 
Had  General  Meade  intended  an  advance  on  that  day,  it  is  not 
probable,  after  its  severe  losses,  that  the  Fifth  Corps  would  have 
been  selected  for  this  service,  when  the  Sixth  Corps,  General  Sedg- 
wick, lay  comparatively  fresh  right  behind  me,  and  which,  in 
fact,  did  take  up  the  direct  pursuit  of  the  enemy  when  it  began. 
On  the  morning  of  the  4th  of  July  a reconnoissance  was  directed 
to  be  made  along  my  front  by  a part  of  my  corps,  and  Day’s 
brigade,  of  Ayers’  division,  executed  it. 


28 


An  armed  reconnoissance,  in  the  presence  of  a stubborn  and 
defiant  enemy,  is  not  an  operation  to  be  carried  on  rashly ; but, 
whatever  may  have  been  its  character,  it  was  never,  to  my  know- 
ledge, questioned  by  any  one  having  the  right  to  do  so. 

I think  the  history  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  while  I com- 
manded the  Fifth  Corps,  will  show  that  it  was  neither  slow  to 
march  nor  fight ; and,  as  it  is  commonly  believed  that  the  head 
of  an  organization  infuses  his  own  views  and  spirit  over  what 
he  controls,  I shall  not  quarrel  with  a hidden  slanderer  con- 
cerning opinions  which  he  may  borrow  or  make  up.  Lastly,  it 
may  not  be  out  of  place  to  say  that  General  Meade  wished  to 
retain  me  in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  upon  its  reorganization, 
in  March,  1864,  and  told  me  in  July  last,  at  Gettysburg,  that 
both  he  and  the  Lieutenant-General  desired  my  return  to  it 
during  its  last  glorious  campaign. 

The  statements  of  persons  ignorant  of  the  true  nature  of 
military  events  seldom  deserve  any  notice;  but,  in  a matter  so 
personal  to  mj^self  as  this,  I cannot  permit  assertions  to  be 
made  without  characterizing  them  in  their  appropriate  terms. 

GEO.  SYKES, 

Lieut.-Col.  U.  S.  Army,  and 

Major-General  Volunteers. 


REPLY  TO  GENERAL  SYKES. 

TO  THE  EDITOR  OF  “THE  DAILY  CHRONICLE,”  WASHINGTON. 

Sir:  I desire  to  say  a word  in  reply  to  the  communication  of 
Major-General  Sykes  in  your  issue  of  December  19th.  In  giving 
the  accompanying  extracts  from  the  testimony,  I do  it  as  briefly 
as  possible,  consistent  with  fairness ; and  this,  I trust,  will  be 
accepted  as  an  apology  for  trespassing  upon  so  much  of  your 
valuable  space.  General  Sykes  has  no  one  but  himself  to  thank 
for  the  republication  of  this  testimony  ; for  how  else  could  an 
humble  civilian  have  repelled  his  opprobrious  epithets  ? or  how, 


29 


indeed,  made  any  stand  at  all  against  a major  general?  It 
would  appear  that  the  General  is  entirely  ignorant  of  that  im- 
portant document,  published  by  order  of  Congress,  the  “ Report 
of  the  Joint  Committee  on  the  Conduct  of  the  War.”  (I  would 
advise  him  to  procure  a copy ; he  will  find  it  “handy  to  have  in 
the  house.”) 

In  the  first  place  General  Sykes  says : “ General  Bimey  never 
made  any  such  request,  and  I never  made  any  such  reply.  It  is 
a pure  fabrication , and  those  who  know  me  know  that  such  an 
answer  would  be  foreign  to  my  whole  career  as  a soldier.”  Be 
that  as  it  may,  here  is  my  authority  for  the  statement.  (The 
italics  throughout  are  mine.)  Report,  2d  Session,  38th  Con- 
gress, page  295,  Major-General  D.  E.  Sickels,  sworn : * * * 

“ General  Meade  said  he  would  send  up  the  Fifth  Corps  to  support 
me.  The  Fifth  Corps  came  up,  tardily , to  be  sure.  * * * My 
request  to  General  Hancock  was  promptly  met.” 

Page  366,  Major-General  D.  B.  Birney  sworn : * * * “Gene- 
ral Sickels  told  me  that  General  Sykes  would,  at  my  request, 
send  me  a division  to  support  me  upon  my  left.  I sent  a staff 
officer  to  General  Sj'kes,  asking  him  to  send  me  up  at  once  the 
division  that  had  been  ordered  from  his  corps  to  support  me ; 
that  an  attack  was  imminent,  and  that  I thought  it  would  be 
made  at  once.  The  staff  officer  saw  him,  and  he  returned  for 
answer,  that  he  would  come  up  in  time;  that  his  men  were 
making  coffee  and  were  tired , but  that  he  would  be  up  in  time. 
He  came  up  with  one  of  his  divisions  in  about  an  hour  from 
that  time,  and  formed  upon  my  left  upon  Round  Top,  and  placed 
Barnes’  division  massed  behind  my  centre.” 

General  Sykes  says : “ The  second  assertion  of  ‘ G.  J.  G.’ 
(quoting  from  General  Warren’s  testimony,  and  of  which  I 
know  nothing)  is  as  incorrect  as  might  be  expected.”  And, 
again : “ General  Meade  never  gave  an  order  to  advance  on  the 
id  of  July,  after  Lee’s  defeat.  I have  in  my  possession  every 
order  affecting  my  command  during  that  campaign,  and  no  such 
order  is  in  existence.”  The  General  may  be  literally  correct 
in  saying  “no  such  order  is  in  existence;”  but  is  it  not  usual 
for  staff  officers  to  carry  verbal  orders  on  the  field  of  battle? 


30 


At  all  events,  here  is  my  authority  for  what  I “ borrowed  or 
made  up ,”  as  charged.  Page  316,  Maj.-Gen.  George  K.  Warren 
sworn:  * * * “The  troops  under  General  Sykes  arrived 

barely  in  time  to  save  Round  Top  mill,  (hill?)  and  they  had  a 
very  desperate  fight  to  hold  it.”  * * * “And  when  the  re- 

pulse of  the  enemy  took  place  on  that  day  (July  3d),  General 
Meade  intended  to  move  forward  all  the  forces  he  could  get  in 
line  and  assault  the  enemy  in  turn.  He  ordered  an  advance  of 
the  Fifth  Corps,  but  it  was  carried  on  so  slowly  that  it  did  not 
amount  to  much,  if  anything. 

“ Question.  Who  commanded  that  corps  ? Answer.  General 
Sykes.  Instead  of  advancing  the  whole  of  the  Fifth  Corps,  I 
believe  only  about  one  brigade  was  advanced.” 

Page  403,  Major-General  W.  S.  Hancock  sworn:  * * * * 

“ General  Meade  told  me,  before  the  fight,  that,  if  the  enemy 
attacked  me,  he  intended  to  put  in  the  Fifth  and  Sixth  Corps  on 
the  enemy’s  flank.  I,  therefore,  when  I was  wounded  and  lying 
down  in  my  ambulance,  and  about  to  leave  the  field,  dictated  a 
note  to  General  Meade,  and  told  him  if  he  would  put  in  the  Fifth 
and  Sixth  Corps  I believed  he  would  win  a great  victory.  I asked 
him  afterward,  when  I returned  to  the  arrays,  what  he  had  done 
in  the  premises.  He  said  he  had  ordered  the  movement , but  the 
troops  were  slow  in  collecting,  and  moved  so  slowly , that  nothing 
was  done  before  night,  except  that  some  of  the  Pennsylvania 
Reserves  went  out  and  met  Hood’s  division,  it  was  understood, 
of  the  enemy,  and  actually  overthrew  it,  assisted,  no  doubt,  in 
some  measure,  by  their  knowledge  of  their  failure  in  the  assault.” 

The  only  misstatement  I find  I made  was  as  to  the  point  of 
time  when  the  staff  officer  was  sent  to  General  Sykes  by  General 
Birney  for  the  promised  support.  It  was  before , not  after , the 
enemy’s  attack.  In  this  connection,  Mr.  Editor,  permit  me  to 
introduce  entire  the  paragraph  which  has  given  so  much  offence. 
Here  it  is : — 

“A  word  of  criticism  here.  At  one  period  of  the  battle,  Birney,  being 
hard  pressed,  called  upon  General  Svkes,  in  command  of  the  Fifth  Corps, 
for  assistance.  Sykes  had  been  ordered  to  support  the  Third  if  called  upon, 
but  he  returned  for  answer  that  he  ‘would  be  up  in  time — that  his  men  were 


31 


tired,  and  were  making  coffee !’  They  did  come  up  in  about  an  hour ; and, 
says  General  Warren,  in  his  testimony,  ‘the  troops  under  General  Sykes 
arrived  barely  in  time  to  save  Round  Top,  and  they  had  a very  desperate  fight 
to  hold  it.’  And  again,  of  the  operations  next  day : ‘When  the  repulse  took 
place,  General  Meade  intended  to  move  forward  and  assault  the  enemy  in 
turn.  He  ordered  an  advance  of  the  Fifth  Corps,  but  it  was  carried  on  so 
sloivly  that  it  did  not  amount  to  much,  if  anything.’  General  George  Sykes 
is  a brave  man,  but  entirely  ‘too  slow;’  so  at  least  General  Grant  seemed 
to  think,  for.  in  the  subsequent  reorganization  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac, 
the  services  of  ‘Tardy  George’  No.  2 were  dispensed  with.  The  Fifth,  as 
a corps,  has  a glorious  record,  and  never  failed  to  fight  bravely  when  pro- 
perly handled.” 

How  can  this  be  tortured  into  the  language  of  disparagement 
of  the  Fifth  Corps,  as  General  Sykes  charges  ? The  truth  is,  the 
Fifth  Corps  does  not  require  the  General’s  championship. 

Everybody  knows  that,  upon  the  very  occasion  in  question, 
its  fighting,  after  being  brought  upon  the  field,  was  magnificent  in 
the  extreme , and  that  it  saved  our  left,  and  with  it  the  day,  on 
Thursday.  And  let  me  add,  moreover,  that  I have  yet  to  learn 
that  censure  of  a commander  is  a reflection  upon  his  men.  Al- 
though I have  not  the  honor  to  belong  to  the  fighting  class,  I 
yield  to  none  in  admiration  of  our  glorious  army,  and  of  the 
heroes  whose  deeds  have  illustrated  its  career.  I love  to  talk 
about,  read  about,  and  sometimes  scribble  about  their  sacrifices, 
and  then-  valor,  and  it  was  this  feeling  which  prompted  the  un- 
fortunate article  on  the  “Battle-field  of  Gettysburg.” 

General  Sykes  will  hardly  deny  my  right,  in  a fair  spirit,  to 
comment  upon  his  actions  as  a soldier.  I did  nothing  more; 
yet  he  has  characterized  my  criticism  as  a “malicious  attack.” 
“Malicious”  in  what?  I acknowledged  his  personal  bravery — 
handsomely,  as  I thought;  but  I sinned,  it  seems,  in  commenting 
upon  his  disposition  to  be  “ slow, ” and,  in  that  respect,  treading 
in  the  footsteps  of  his  great  exemplar,  “Tardy  George”  No.  1. 
This  is  the  “very  head  and  front  of  my  offending.”  Of  the  sneers 
at  my  ignorance  of  military  affairs,  I have  no  right  to  complain : 
for,  you  must  know,  Mr.  Editor,  I ivas  simpleton  enough  to  believe 
that  Gen.  Grant  really  had  control  of  the  army!  That  he  had 
the  power  to  detach,  relieve  or  retain  whomsoever  he  pleased; 
and  that  he  had,  in  fact,  everything  his  own  way , without  inter- 


32 


ference  from  any  quarter ! All  of  -which,  sir,  did  I most  power- 
folly  and  potently  believe.  For  so  believing — for  quoting  fairly 
from  the  record,  and  for  giving  credence  to  the  sworn  testimony 
of  four  distinguished  general  officers — one  sleeping  in  an  honored 
grave — I am  arraigned  and  stigmatized  (in  a style,  let  us  hope, 
not  common  to  the  cloth)  as  a “ fabricator ” and  a “ slanderer ,” 

General  Sykes,  in  the  course  of  his  communication — by  way 
of  a clincher,  and  with  the  most  charming  naivete , tells  the  fol- 
lowing story : — 

“ General  Meade  wished  to  retain  me  in  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac,  upon  its  reorganization  in  March,  1864,  and  told  me 
in  July  last,  at  Gettysburg,  that  both  he  and  the  Lieutenant- 
General  desired  my  return  to  it  in  its  last  glorious  campaign.” 

What  a shame  that  such  amiable  intentions  should  have  been 
frustrated ! 

But  by  whom?  Let  us  hear  what  the  Lieutenant  General  has 
to  say  upon  this  point : — • 

Washington,  May  18,  1865. — Extracts  from  Lieutenant-General  Grant's 
Testimony,  page  524. 

Question.  “Has  there  ever  been  any  misunderstanding  with 
regard  to  the  conduct  of  the  war,  in  any  pjarticular , between 
you  and  the  Secretary  of  War,  since  you  have  been  in  com- 
mand?” 

Answer.  “Never  any  expressed  to  me.  I never  had  any 
reason  to  suppose  that  any  fault  was  found  with  anything  I had 
done.  So  far  as  the  Secretary  of  War  and  myself  are  concerned, 
he  has  never  interfered  with  my  duties;  * * * * He  has 

never  dictated  a course  of  campaign  to  me,  and  never  inquired 
what  I teas  going  to  do.  He  has  always  seemed  satisfied  with 
what  I did , and  has  heartily  co-operated  with  me.” 

There,  I think  that  will  do.  This  controversy  is  not  of  my 
seeking,  and,  as  I have  no  desire  to  prolong  it  at  the  expense  of 
your  columns,  I shall  most  respectfully  take  my  leave  both  of  the 
subject  and  of  Major-General  Sykes. 

G.  J.  G. 


Philadelphia,  Jan.  2,  1866. 


